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‘Fixer Upper’ star debuts cookbook, talks post-show plans

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In this March 29, 2016 file photo, TV personality Joanna Gaines poses for a portrait in New York. Gaines released a cookbook, “Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering,” on Tuesday, April 24. (Photo by Brian Ach/Invision/AP)

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, APNEW YORK

Even though “Fixer Upper” has come to an end, Joanna Gaines is still going strong.

The designing half of the just-wrapped HGTV show is showcasing her cooking skills with the release of her “Magnolia Table” cookbook. She showcased tasty food made from the book’s recipes at a recent lunch in New York as hubby Chip cracked jokes and playfully teased his pregnant wife while prepping biscuits in front of guests.

The pair talked about the inspiration for the book, which was finding time to spend time together with their four children.

“I just craved those moments around the table with our family,” she said. “If we weren’t intentional about it, life would just really fly by really fast.”

“Fixer Upper” has been one of HGTV’s most successful shows, but the couple decided to call it quits after the show’s fifth season, which wrapped up earlier this month.

Gaines says while she’s not slowing down, she is looking forward to some downtime when her fifth child is born in a few months.

“I think once this baby comes along, I’m really hoping to find time. That’s what we’re really just preparing for, just this new baby coming along and cherishing that time as a family,” she said. The Gaines also have a home decorating line at Target; a restaurant; a bed and breakfast in their Waco, Texas, town; and a magazine.

“My last baby she’s eight (years old) now, so I think this is something I’m learning all over again, even in buying all the stuff — what do I need for a newborn? It’s been a really fun season,” she said.

While “Fixer Upper” won’t have any new episodes, it will air in reruns on HGTV, and wood craftsman Clint Harp is getting a spinoff on the DIY channel called “Wood Work.”

Chip Gaines says the couple is close to Harp and his wife, Kelly. He hopes the couple takes time to enjoy the experience of the show.

“It feels like it started, then it was over, and you kind of look back and you notice all of these once-in-a-lifetime experiences that had happened in your wake, but it’s really hard to appreciate them because it felt like they were stacked one on top of the other, then they were coming at you at the speed of light,” he said. “Somehow figure out how to slow the experience down somehow and enjoy the ride.”